Time to Say Goodbye
by 7thheavengirl08
Summary: When a member of the team gets killed in the line of duty, how do the others react to it? Will the team ever be the same again, or will the death of this one person tear them apart? WARNING: Deals with the death of a main character! COMPLETE
1. Gone Too Soon

A/N: This is my first time writing a Sue Thomas F.B. Eye fanfic, so please be patient with me! :) The idea just kind of came to me, and I couldn't get it out of my head. Although it's definitely not the easiest fanfic I've ever written, I have a feeling that it's going to be one of my best. For those of you who are reading my other story, Changing Times, don't worry, I haven't forgotten about that story; I've just had horrible writers block on that story, so it's taking me awhile to write the next chapter. Please R & R! I'd love to know what all you Sue Thomas fans think of this fic!

Disclaimer: I do not own Sue Thomas, F.B. Eye, or any of the characters, as much as I wish I did! I'm just borrowing them for this story. I also don't own the song _Gone Too Soon_. That belongs to Michael Jackson, or rather his estate, or however that all works. I'm just borrowing that, too.

* * *

Sue Thomas reached out and ran her fingers across the name engraved in the tombstone that she was sitting next to. Tears ran freely down her cheeks as she thought of the man who was buried there.

They hadn't realized it until he was gone, but he had been what held the team together. No matter how stressful or tense a case got, he had always been there with his witty charm and sense of humor to bring a bit of relief for everyone. He had been the team's source of strength. Without him, the bullpen felt empty and lifeless, and the team was on the brink of falling apart.

"Why did you have to leave us?" Sue whispered. "It's not the same without you. You were the life of the team; nothing seems right now that you're gone. We can't seem to function without you."

Sue thought back to the first day she had met him, how he had been surprised to find out that she was deaf, but had immediately had accepted her as a part of the team. He had never looked upon her deafness as a disability or handicap, but rather had accepted it as a part of who she was. To him, it had just made her more special, and had given him another reason to play the role of protector, along with the rest of the guys on the team.

"I don't know how we can go on without you. Nothing's right now that you're gone. You were the one that held us all together, and now that you're gone, we're falling apart. We're not the same team anymore. Everyone's always at each other's throats, and tempers are short. You're not here anymore to diffuse the tension by cracking one of your awful jokes. You, the constant optimist and peacemaker, were the one that kept us all from fighting like cats and dogs before. You were the one that formed us into the family that we once were." Sue paused, trying to gather her thoughts.

"Myles is talking about transferring to a different team, to White Collar Crimes, believe it or not. He and Lucy are worse than they ever have been, constantly picking at each other. No matter what the other one says or does, it's always wrong. Lucy's threatened to leave, too. That job in personnel, the one that she took when she was tired of being taken for granted, has opened back up again, and she told me that she's seriously considering taking it.

"Tara's actually considering leaving the Bureau all together. She blames herself for your death, you know. Actually, I think all of them do, in some way or another, even though we all know it wasn't her fault. She couldn't have known that a member of the SOG team was a traitor; none of us knew, at least not until he shot you. She thinks that if she had been in the communications van rather than out there with the rest of you, whoever else assigned to cover you would have been able to stop him somehow. The rest of them feel that if she had been with you, rather than letting you go in alone and staying where you told her to, you would still be alive.

"Nothing's right now that you're gone. I miss you so much, and I know that everyone else does, too. You were taken from us too soon."

_Like a comet__  
__Blazing 'cross the evening sky__  
__Gone too soon_

_Like a rainbow__  
__Fading in the twinkling of an eye__  
__Gone too soon_

_Shiny and sparkly__  
__And splendidly bright__  
__Here one day__  
__Gone one night_

_Like the loss of sunlight__  
__On a cloudy afternoon__  
__Gone too soon_

_Like a castle__  
__Built upon a__sandy beach__  
__Gone too soon_

_Like a perfect__flower__  
__That is just beyond your reach__  
__Gone too soon_

_Born to amuse, to inspire, to delight__  
__Here one day__  
__Gone one night_

_Like a sunset__  
__Dying with the rising of the moon__  
__Gone too soon__  
__Gone too soon_

* * *

A/N: I'm sure you're all wondering whose grave Sue is at; don't worry, you'll find out before the end of the story. In the meantime, please feel free to take a guess! I hope to have at least one more chapter up before the day is over, but I can't promise anything. The next few chapters will (_hopefully!_) be longer than this one!


	2. The Prayer

A/N: Here's the next chapter! As promised, this chapter is longer. I should have the next chapter up soon! Thank you all so much for the reviews! It's always an encouragement to know that people are actually reading (and enjoying!) your story. I also enjoyed hearing all of your guesses. :) The most common guess seemed to be that it was D; I'm not going to tell you whether or not you're right. I plan on adding another member of them team in each chapter, so if I don't mention it in the story before the last chapter, you'll find out who it is by process of elimination. :) As always, please R & R!

Disclaimer: Nope, still don't own any of the characters or the show! If I did there would be more seasons! Also, I don't own the song _The Prayer,_ either. Not sure who does, but it's not me!

* * *

"Levi, get Sue."

Levi gently nudged Sue, and she turned around to find Lucy standing behind her. "Hi," greeted Sue. She was surprised to see Lucy there, and even more surprised that Lucy had stayed even though she was there. Just like the rest of the team, lately she and Lucy had been fighting a lot, and always sniping at each other. It had gotten to the point where they were both considering moving out. They no longer rode to work together, and they hardly spoke to each other at the apartment unless they had to.

Lucy sat down beside Sue. "I kind of figured I'd find you here. It still seems kind of unreal, doesn't it? Sitting here by his grave?"

Sue nodded. "I guess in some ways we thought that he was invincible, that we all were." Her voice trailed off at the end as tears came to her eyes. She wiped them away, then asked," How long were you standing there?"

"Not long," Lucy replied. Just long enough to hear what you said about Tara. I guess we all have been kind of hard on her, haven't we?"

Sue nodded. "I know it's not intentional, and I have to admit, at first I struggled with bitterness and anger towards her, too. After all, he was one of my best friends," she said, her voice cracking because of emotion. "But then I realized that he wouldn't want us to have that reaction. Tara's struggling, too, just as much as the rest of us. She saw him get shot, and was helpless to do anything. She did everything that she was supposed to. I had to forgive her. If I had continued to hold that bitterness against her, it would have torn me apart even more than his death already was."

Lucy reached out to wrap an arm around her friend. Although her relationship with their fallen colleague was not nearly as close as Sue's had been, he still had been her friend, and she felt his loss a great deal. "This is tearing the team apart, isn't it?" asked Lucy.

Sue nodded. "It's the last thing that he would have wanted, and the last thing that should have happened. After all, we were like a family before. Now look at us. We're constantly at each other's throats and ready to kill each other over minor little things that never would have bothered us before."

"I used to love coming to work. The friendship that we all shared, the practical jokes that we played on each other, the sense of camaraderie, all of that made our job that much easier, despite the stressfulness of our cases. But now? Now I almost dread coming to work. You can feel the tension the moment you walk into the bullpen." Lucy paused. "That's the reason why I am considering that job in human resources. I can hardly stand working with the team anymore, with everyone's tempers so short. There are so many memories of him there in the bullpen, too. It feels so empty without him."

"It's not just because he's not there that it feels empty, Luce. It's because none of us are there, not really. Not the way we used to be. Somewhere along the line we all lost sight of what we used to be, and what made our team one of the best in the Bureau. It died along with him, and it shouldn't have. You would think, as close as we all were, that this would have made us grow closer. Instead it's tearing us apart," Sue said sadly. "Look at us. We used to be the best of friends, and now we're fighting like cats and dogs most days."

Lucy sighed. "I know. Instead of leaning on each other, we've turned against each other. I'm sorry, Sue. I know how much his death hurt you; how close you two were. At first, I didn't know what to say or do. I missed him, too, but I didn't want to show it because I was afraid it would just make it harder for you. It finally came to the point where I was tired of ignoring my own pain because of you, so I guess I started taking it all out on you, even though it wasn't your fault."

Sue looked up."It wasn't just you, Luce. It was me, too. I avoided you, because I didn't want to talk about him. I didn't want to talk to anyone; I just pushed everyone away. I was too lost in my own grief to think that you would be hurting a lot, too. It was selfish of me; after all, you knew him before I did. I'm sorry for ignoring you."

"Truce?" Lucy asked with a small smile, the first smile to touch her face, either of their faces, since they had lost their friend.

"Truce," Sue agreed, giving her friend a hug.

They sat their silently for a few minutes, both of them looking at the grave, lost in their own memories and thoughts of their friend.

" I guess I never really realized before how much we relied on him to keep us all together," Lucy said, breaking the silence It's strange to think of him as the glue that held the team together, but he was. It's funny how you don't realize just how much a person meant to you until they're gone." She paused for a moment, and both women sat there for a few moments lost in their own thoughts.

"I wonder if the team will make it through this. Will we ever be the same again?" Lucy asked.

Sue gave her friend a comforting squeeze. "I think the only way we'll make it through is if we learn to lean on each other. It's going to take all of us realizing that for us to being healing."

_I pray you'll be our eyes, __  
__and watch us where we go, __  
__and help us to be wise __  
__in times when we don't know. _

_Let this be our prayer __  
__when we lose our way: _

_Lead us to a place, __  
__Guide us with Your grace __  
__To a place where we'll be safe. _

_La luce che Tu dai (The light that You give us) __  
__I pray we'll find Your light __  
__Nel cuore resterà (will stay in our hearts) __  
__And hold it in our hearts __  
__A ricordarci che (reminding us that…) __  
__When stars go out each night __  
__L'eterna stella sei (You are the everlasting star). _

_Nella mia preghiera (In my prayer). __  
__Let this be our prayer __  
__Quanta fede c'è (there's so much faith) __  
__When shadows fill our day: _

_Lead us to a place, __  
__Guide us with Your grace, __  
__Give us faith so we'll be safe. _

_Sognamo un mondo senza più violenza (We dream (of) a world without more violence) __  
__Un mondo di giustizia e di speranza (A world of justice and of hope). __  
__Ognuno dia la mano al suo vicino (Everyone give your hand to your neighbor), __  
__Simbolo di pace e di fraternità (Symbol of peace and brotherhood) _

_La forza che ci dai (The strength You give us) __  
__We ask that life be kind __  
__È il desiderio che (is the wish that) __  
__And watch us from above. __  
__Ognuno trovi amore (everyone may find love) __  
__We hope each soul will find __  
__Intorno e dentro sè (around and within himself) __  
__Another soul to love. _

_Let this be our prayer __  
__Just like every child __  
__Needs to find a place: _

_Guide us with your grace __  
__Give us faith so we'll be safe. _

_E la fede che (And the faith that) __  
__Hai acceso in noi (You have lit inside us) __  
__Sento che ci salverà (I believe will save us)._

* * *

A/N: So, what do you think now? Is your guess still the same as in the last chapter? Also, at the end of each chapter of the story will be a song that kind of shows how the team feels about the person who died. Just wanted to make that clear in case there was any confusion about that. :)


	3. Shine Your Light

A/N: Here's the third chapter! I hope you all enjoy it. Myles was kind of a tough character to write, so I'm sorry if he seems a bit OoC. Please R & R! I always appreciate any reviews, especially if they contain advice or tips on how to make the story better.

Disclaimer: Nope, still don't own any of them. I don't own_ Shine Your Light_, either.

* * *

Myles was surprised to see Lucy and Sue sitting beside the grave of their former team member when he got to the cemetery. He hadn't expected anyone to be there. He felt foolish for coming and somewhat embarrassed in his reason for coming; he had wanted to talk to his fallen comrade.

Myles, still a little ways behind where Lucy and Sue sat, turned around and had started to leave when a voice stopped him. "Myles, don't leave. You have as much right to be here as we do."

Myles turned around, surprised. He hadn't known that they'd even realized he was there. He was even more shocked that it had been Lucy who had told him to stay. Ever since Lucy found out that he was cheating on her and they broke up, they'd had a rocky relationship. It had gotten better for awhile, and he thought that there was even a possibility of a friendship developing between them, but then they had lost their friend and coworker in a raid gone wrong, and that had ended any reconciliation between them. Things had gone back to the way they were right after he and Lucy had broken up; in fact, they had gotten worse than they were before. They were to the point now where they could hardly stand to be in the same room with each other.

"Are you sure?" Myles asked, taking a couple of steps towards the girls.

They both nodded. "Please, Myles, stay. We want you to stay," Sue added.

"You want me to stay?" Myles scoffed. "Why? So we can all get into a fight right here in the cemetery? Right in front of his grave? No thank you."

Myles once again turned around and began walking away from the grave when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around to find Lucy standing directly behind him.

"Myles, please. Let's not do this. Not here. Not now. Sue and I really do want you to stay. He was your coworker and friend as well as ours. Please, stay." When Myles hesitated, she added, "Look, I know that things haven't been the best between the two of us recently. In fact, they've been awful. We've been constantly picking at each other all the time and letting the smallest things get to us. Let's face it, we were acting like kids. I've been downright nasty to you, and I'm sorry. I could try to make up excuses, saying that I was upset because of his death, or I could try to blame it on you, and in fact, I have tried to do both of those. But the truth is, there is no excuse for the way we've been acting, and I'm just as much at fault as you, if not more.

"Coming here today made me realize just how stupid and selfish I've been acting. While my friends are grieving, I take out my anger and grief on them, and especially you. Life is short, and I don't want to spend it in a constant war with you, or any of the others for that matter.

"Look at us, Myles. Are we really accomplishing anything with all this arguing except causing ourselves even more hurt? It certainly hasn't made his death any easier on any of us. I'm sorry, Myles."

"No, Luce, I'm the one who should be sorry. I'm the one who cheated on you in the first place, causing our relationship to be like it is. Before all of this happened, we were finally getting to the point where we could actually be friends. Then, when he died, I was shocked, just like everyone else. I guess I felt a little guilty, too. I kept thinking that if I hadn't of been sick and had to sit out that raid, it would have been me there with him, instead of Tara, and maybe he wouldn't have gotten shot. I felt bad for the way I treated him. I realized that I had been jealous of him; he always seemed to play the part of the perfect Special Agent, and he always knew what to say. He on his way to having a relationship with a coworker and I know he wouldn't have botched it. I've kind of been taking it out on everyone else, especially you, rather than admit that something was actually bothering me. I was too proud to admit that I, Myles Leland the Third, wasn't perfect."

"Myles, nobody is perfect. You aren't Bobby, you're Myles. You're just as good of an agent as Bobby was. And even if you had been there that night, there was no way that anyone could have known that the SOG agent was working against us. You couldn't have done anything. It's not your fault, or Tara's, or anyone's except for the man who shot him. And even though you two weren't the best of friends, he knew that you cared. The only way to be able to move on is to stop blaming yourself. None of us are going to survive losing him if we continue on the way we are. Please, stay with us."

Myles nodded slowly, realizing that Lucy meant more than just staying at the cemetery. "Alright. I'll stay." He followed Lucy back to the grave, where Sue still sat, and sat down between the two women.

_The cry of the city like a siren's song__  
__Wailing over the rooftops the whole night long__  
__Saw a shooting star like a diamond in the sky__  
__Must be someone's soul passing by_

_These are the streets__  
__Where we used to run where your Papa's from__  
__These are the days__  
__Where you become what you become__  
__These are the streets__  
__Where the story's told__  
__The truth unfolds__  
__Darkness settles in_

_Shine your light down on me__  
__Lift me up so I can see__  
__Shine your light when you're gone__  
__Give me the strength__  
__To carry on, carry on_

_Don't wanna be a hero__  
__Just an everyday man__  
__Trying to do the job the very best he can__  
__But now it's like living on borrowed time__  
__Out on the rim, over the line__  
__Always tempting fate like a game of chance__  
__Never wanna stick around to the very last dance__  
__Sometimes I stumble and take a hard fall__  
__Loose hold your grip off the wall_

_Shine your light down on me__  
__Lift me up so I can see__  
__Shine your light when you're gone__  
__Give me the strength to carry on__  
__Carry on_

_I thought I saw him walking by the side of the road__  
__Maybe trying to find his way home_

_He's here but not here__  
__He's gone but not gone__  
__Just hope he knows if I get lost_

_Shine your light down on me__  
__Lift me up so I can see__  
__Shine your light when you're gone__  
__Give me the strength to carry on__  
__To carry on_

_

* * *

_A/N: I know that the song is technically talking about the death of a firefighter, but I thought it worked for the death of an FBI agent, too.


	4. Who You'd Be Today

A/N: I'm sorry for making you wait so long for this chapter! I was crazy busy there for awhile, and this chapter was really hard to write. It went a completely different direction from where I'd planned, so the song doesn't exactly fit, but I hope you still enjoy it. As always, please R & R! I hope to have the last two chapters up before the end of the week, but we'll see...

Disclaimer: I don't own Sue Thomas F.B. Eye or any of the characters, nor do I own _Who You'd Be Today._

* * *

Jack sat in his car, not yet ready to get out and walk to the gravesite of his former co-worker and best friend. He was parked between Sue and Lucy's cars, and could see Myles' car parked on the other side of Lucy's. That was part of the reason for his delay. That, and the fact that it was the first time he'd been back since the funeral.

_It was a cold, rainy day, the weather seemingly a reflection of the feelings of those in attendance at the funeral of Special Agent Bobby Manning, F.B.I. Jack sat behind Bobby's family with the other members of his team. Sorrow was evident on all their face, Tara's especially. She was seated in the middle of them, with Jack on one side of her, and Myles on the other. Demetrius was on the other side of Myles, and Sue was on the other side of Jack._

_Throughout the service, Jack could feel both women shudder from silent sobs. Jack made no move to comfort either one; Tara because he couldn't help but blame her for Bobby's death, and Sue because she had been pushing him away ever since she'd gotten the news that Bobby was dead._

_Jack barely made it through the service. He didn't want to be there; he didn't want to believe that Crash really was dead. The moment the service was over, he pushed past Sue, got in his car, and drove off. _

He still had a hard time believing that Bobby was dead. Nothing seemed right without him. The team was falling apart, he and Sue were no longer able to stand being in the same room together, and there was talk of transfer among members of the once inseparable team. Although none of them had realized it while he was alive, Bobby had been the core of them team, the one that held them all together. He had been able to diffuse arguments with his jokes and light-hearted banter.

Jack ran a hand through his hair and sighed. He wondered what Bobby would say if he could see the team now. He would be shocked, that was for sure. He'd also be disappointed at the way they all were treating each other, and especially the way they were treating Tara.

Tara. The love of Bobby's life. He had been planning to ask her to marry him as soon as the case they were working on was wrapped up. He'd even shown Jack the ring. Tara never even knew, and still didn't know. After the funeral, Jack had gone to Bobby's apartment and taken the ring from its hiding place in Bobby's dresser. He had planned on giving it to Tara, and telling her about Bobby's plans, but he could never seem to bring himself to do it. He knew it was what Bobby would want, but he just couldn't. Every time he came close to giving it to her, he was reminded that Tara was the one who was with Bobby when he died.

Jack pushed the thoughts of that night out of his mind. He didn't want to think about that now; he knew he wouldn't be able to handle the memory. Instead, he thought of someone else that Bobby's death had greatly affected his relationship with. Sue.

The night that Bobby died, after they'd all been debriefed, Jack had taken Sue home, partially because he didn't want face going back to his apartment yet, where he'd be alone with nothing to do but to think of what had happened, and partially because he knew that Sue would have to break the news to Lucy once she got home. He didn't want her to have to face that alone.

When they had reached Sue's apartment, she simply thanked him for the ride and turned to unlock the door. He had placed his hand on her shoulder to try to get her to turn and look at him, but she shrugged it off. In a tearful voice she said, "Not now, Jack. Please, I want to be alone."

Jack had been hurt, but he had honored her wishes. The next day, he stopped by to check on both her and Lucy to see how they were handling everything. It was Lucy who opened the door when he knocked. She had been surprised to see him, but invited him. The whole time he was there, Sue never came out of her room. Jack had gone home, feeling frustrated and lonely. He stopped by two more times before Bobby's funeral, both times with the same result.

Their first day back to work after Bobby's death, Jack had stopped by Sue's desk to ask if she wanted to go get a bite to eat with him. She had simply shaken her head and told him that she would get something later. He got the same answer the next few times he'd asked her, so he finally stopped asking. It was clear that she didn't want to spend time with him, and didn't want his help to cope with Bobby's death, even though he wanted, no, needed, hers.

Jack sighed. He knew he needed to stop dwelling on the past and begin to face the future. A future without Bobby, his best friend. A future without Sue, the woman that he cared for more than he'd like to admit. A future without the team who had become his family. It was clear that if things didn't change soon, the team would self-destruct. He reached for the door handle, opened the door, and got out of his car. Slowly, he walked towards the gravesite of his best friend.

When Jack reached the gravesite, all three of his coworkers had their backs toward him. It wasn't until Levi nudged Sue that they realized he was standing there.

"Room for one more?" he asked in a voice full of raw emotion.

When Myles and Lucy nodded, he looked to Sue, hoping to get her consent as well. Instead, she stood up and being walking. Jack was afraid that she was going to leave until she stopped in front of him.

"**Sorry**," Sue signed.

"**For what?"** Jack signed back.

"**Pushing you away,"** Sue replied. **"I was scared."**

"**Scared of what?"** Jack asked, confused.

"**Scared of losing you!"** Sue signed frantically, tears running down her face. **"What happened to Bobby could have just as easily happened to you. I -"**

"**Slow down!"** Jack interrupted her. "I can't understand you when you sign that fast. You lost me."

"**Sorry,"** Sue signed. "I was scared," she spoke aloud, "scared of losing you. You could have just as easily been the one who got shot. I thought that if I pushed you away, I wouldn't have to worry about losing you, and I wouldn't get hurt. I was wrong, though. Pushing you away hurt worse than losing you ever could.. When I needed you most, when you needed me most, I pushed you away."

"Oh, Sue," was all Jack could get out before Sue rushed towards him. He wrapped his arms around her and held her, letting her cry. His tears mingled with hers. Tears for Bobby. Tears for the way they'd acted. Tears of hurt. But most of all, tears of hope.

_Sunny days seem to hurt the most.__  
__I wear the pain like a heavy coat.__  
__I feel__you__everywhere I go__.__  
__I see your smile, I see your face,__  
__I hear you laughin'__in the rain__.__  
__I still can't believe you're gone._

_It ain't fair: you died too young,__  
__Like the story that had just begun,__  
__But death tore the pages all away.__  
__God knows how I miss you,__  
__All the hell that I've been through,__  
__Just knowin' no-one could take your place.__  
__An' sometimes I wonder,__  
__Who'd you be__today?_

_Would you__see the world__? Would you chase your dreams?__  
__Settle down with a family,__  
__I wonder what would you name your babies?__  
__Some days the sky's so blue,__  
__I feel__like I can talk to you,__  
__An' I know it might sound crazy._

_It ain't fair: you died too young,__  
__Like the story that had just begun,__  
__But death tore the pages all away.__  
__God knows how I miss you,__  
__All the hell that I've been through,__  
__Just knowin' no-one could take your place.__  
__An' sometimes I wonder,__  
__Who you'd be__today?_

_Today,__today,__today.__  
__Today,__today,__today._

_Sunny days seem to hurt the most.__  
__I wear the pain like a heavy coat.__  
__The only thing that gives me hope,__  
__Is I know I'll see you again someday._

_

* * *

_

A/N: Well, there you go, you now know who died! Was your guess correct?


	5. Friends

A/N: Here's the next chapter. This has probably been the easiest chapter to write so far. It pretty much wrote itself. Once I started writing the first part, the rest of it just seemed to come naturally. I hope you enjoy it! There's only one (maybe two) more chapters left after this, so the end is in sight! As always, please R & R!

Disclaimer: I do not own Sue Thomas, F.B. Eye, or any of the characters, nor do I own the lyrics to _Friends_.

* * *

Demetrius was surprised to see four of his team member's cars at the cemetery. He hoped that they weren't causing a scene at Bobby's grave. Lately his team seemed to be at each other's throats. All except Tara, that is. She just sat at her desk, saying nothing unless she absolutely had to .

D was worried about her. Ever since Bobby died, Tara had been quiet and depressed, so unlike her usual self. He and Donna had invited her over for dinner a few times, but she had declined, making up excuses as to why she couldn't come. He knew it was because she was hurting. It didn't help that the others on the team blamed her, even though it wasn't her fault. He suspected that she blamed herself, too.

_Jack finished giving orders and took his place beside D at the front door of the house. On his signal, Bobby, who was at the back door, burst into the house at the same time as Jack. D stayed outside in case their suspect somehow managed to get past Jack. As Jack quickly swept the front rooms, Bobby was doing a sweep of the back rooms. Tara was out back, in case their suspect tried to escape that way._

_Only moments after Jack and Bobby, as well as the members of the SWAT team and SOG that were with them, entered the house, D heard several gunshots. Seconds later, he heard Tara over the security net, "Suspect has escaped through a window on the east side of the house. I'm going after him. Request backup." D began to run towards Tara and the suspect when Jack came over the security net. "Man down! Repeat, man down! Sam 3-2 has been shot!" _

_D fought the urge to turn around and dun towards the house, where one of his men was injured, but knew that he had to continue on after the suspect and give Tara backup. He tried to ignore the commotion over the security net._

"_Man down! Man down! We need medics in here immediately!" Jack shouted tersely through the security net. _

_D and Tara quickly caught up to the suspect, who had been injured in his jump from a two-story window. It was only after they had him in handcuffs, safely in the back of a car, that D realized the security net had gone strangely quiet. There wasn't the usually flurry of activity that happened when an agent was injured. It worried him._

_Tara realized it, too, and looked worriedly at D. He tried to reassure her. "I'm sure he's fine. He was probably just winged, and it was just a minor injury, which is why we're not hearing anything." His words sounded hollow, even to himself, but he had to keep a brave front. He couldn't let himself believe the worst, that one of his men had been killed in the line of duty._

_When he and Tara reached the house, they were met by somber expressions. It was then that D knew. Special Agent Bobby Manning was dead._

D pulled himself out of the memories that had plagued his since that night. It hurt too much to think about it. He didn't want to remember any of that night, yet the memories wouldn't leave him. He'd spent many a sleepless night lying in bed, wondering if there was something he could have done differently, something that could have prevented Bobby's death. He knew there was nothing, but as acting supervisor, eh couldn't help but feel at least somewhat responsible.

After a few minutes, D got out of his car and headed towards Bobby's grave, unsure of what he would find when he got there. What he found surprised him.

Myles and Lucy were sitting next to each other on one side of Bobby's grave, and Jack and Sue, and Levi, of course, were sitting on the other side, the side facing him. Jack had his arm around Sue, and she was leaning against him. Not only were none of them arguing, but they were even talking to each other.

D cleared his throat when it was obvious that none of them had noticed him. They all looked up.

"D," Jack greeted him. "Want to join us? We were talking about Bobby, and some of our memories of him."

D took a seat beside Lucy. "Really? And was the woman he loved more than anything else in any of those memories of him that you mentioned?"

There was silence for a few minutes, and then Jack spoke up. "Tara should have been in there with him. He should have left one of the SOG or SWAT outside, rather than Tara."

"And if she had been in there? Could she have done anything to stop what happened?" When no one answered, he continued. "No, she couldn't have. Jack, it was Bobby's decision to leave Tara outside, just as it was your decision to leave me outside. It's not usual, I agree. But nothing about that case was usual. The suspect had known that we were on to him, and you wanted someone you could trust outside, in case he managed to get past you. Just like Bobby wanted someone that he trusted outside. Tara did nothing wrong. Nothing. And you all know that, I know you do! But what do you do? Rather than being there for her now, when she needs you most, you blame her for what happened! Then you go after each other, nit picking and arguing until the team is on the verge of falling apart.

"Have you even seen Tara lately? I mean really seen her? That girl is a shadow of her former self. The lively, bubbly woman that we all knew and loved seems to have died with Bobby. Now she sits at her desk, saying absolutely nothing to anyone unless she has to. Do you even remember she's there anymore? Or have you forgotten about her like you seem to have forgotten about the friendship and closeness out team once shared? She's hurting, and she has no one there for her. Do any of you know that she's actually considering leaving the Bureau all together? I've had to convince her numerous times not to put in her notice.

"Does it help to blame her? Does it make you miss Bobby any less? Does it bring him back? I think it's time for us all to realize how stupid and childish we're being, and remember that you're not the only ones hurting. Tara needs us to be there for her. It's time for us to start acting like a team again. "

Lucy, Myles, Jack, and Sue all looked at each other guiltily. They had deserved that lecture. D was right. It was time that they started being a team again, and the best way to start was by forgiving Tara.

_Packing up the dreams God planted__  
__In the fertile soil of you__  
__Can't believe the hopes He's granted__  
__Means a chapter in your life is through__  
__But we'll keep you close as always__  
__It won't even seem you've gone__  
__'Cause our hearts in big and small ways__  
__Will keep the love that keeps us strong_

_And friends are friends forever__  
__If the Lord's the Lord of them__  
__And a friend will not say never__  
__'Cause the welcome will not end__  
__Though it's hard to let you go__  
__In the Father's hands we know__  
__That a lifetime's not too long to live as friends._

_With the faith and love God's given__  
__Springing from the hope we know__  
__We will pray the joy you'll live in__  
__Is the strength that now you show_

_But we'll keep you close as always__  
__It won't even seem you've gone__  
__'Cause our hearts in big and small ways__  
__Will keep the love that keeps us strong_

_And friends are friends forever__  
__If the Lord's the Lord of them__  
__And a friend will not say never__  
__'Cause the welcome will not end__  
__Though it's hard to let you go__  
__In the Father's hands we know__  
__That a lifetime's not too long to live as friends_

_

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_

A/M: So what did you think of D's lecture? I figured that, being the father figured he is, he would be the one to finally get all of them to come to their senses about Tara.


	6. My Heart Will Go On

A/N: Well, here you have it, the last chapter of this story. It is by far the longest, and hopefully the best. I hope you've enjoyed reading it as much as I've enjoyed writing it. Thank you so much for all the kind reviews that you've given me. As always, please R &R.

Disclaimer: I do not own Sue Thomas F.B. Eye, nor do I own _My Heart Will Go On.

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_

Tara walked slowly to Bobby's grave, not really paying attention, not that it mattered. She'd been here so often that she knew the patch by heart. She was lost in memories of Bobby.

"_Tara, you like the band Mojo Gogo, right?"_ A hint of a smile flashed across Tara's face as she thought back to her and Bobby's first date that hadn't actually been a date. Their romance had blossomed from there, although they were able to hide it from the other members of their team for quite awhile. It had been hard, but necessary in light of the no dating policy the Bureau had.

_The whole team, plus Donna, was going out to eat at a restaurant, and Bobby and Tara, with the knowledge that the no dating policy was finally being lifted, decided that they would take this opportunity to reveal their romance to their co-workers. They deliberately arrived a little later than everyone else, and entered the restaurant holding hands. When they reached the table where the rest of the team was sitting, they received quite the reaction._

"_Tara? Bobby? Are you guys trying to tell us something?" Lucy, of course, had been the first to notice, and the first to ask questions._

_Bobby nodded. "About two months ago, this beautiful Sheila agreed to be my girlfriend."_

"_What about the no dating policy?" Jack asked, surprised. "How are you going to deal with that?"_

"_As of two days ago, the no dating policy no longer exists," D replied. "Thanks in a part to Bobby and Tara here, the Bureau has decided that as long as the couple is professional in the workplace, they are allowed to be on the same team, provided that they were on the same team to begin with."_

"_You might want to close your mouth there, Sparky. You might catch a fly in there," Bobby joked, causing everyone to laugh. _

_Jack quickly snapped his mouth shut. "Ah, well, congratulations, Bobby, Tara. I'm happy for you." Everyone else echoed Jack sentiments._

_After the meal was over and everyone was leaving, Bobby and Tara watched Jack walk over to Sue and say something to her. Sue nodded, turned and said something to Lucy, and then she and Jack left together. Bobby turned to Tara, smiling. "Well, it looks like our little announcement tonight did what I thought it would."_

"_What's that?" Tara asked, not catching on._

"_If my guess is right, and I'm sure it is, it made Jack finally decided to do something about his feelings for Sue now that the no dating policy no longer exists."_

Bobby's guess had indeed been right, and the two couples had gone out on numerous dates together following that night.

Tara was brought out of her memories by hearing voices as she neared Bobby's grave. She sighed when she saw who was at Bobby's grave. Usually she checked the parking lot, and if any of the other team member's cars, but today she hadn't; she'd had a rough day and had been too lost in her thoughts to realize that not just one, but all five, of her coworkers were there. She turned around and began walking back to her car, but was stopped by a hand on her arm.

"Tara, please, don't leave." It was Jack. That surprised Tara. This was the first time he'd spoken to her since Bobby's death, aside from work related matters.

"Jack, let me go. I'll come back later." Tara pulled her arm loose from Jack's grip and continued towards her car. Jack quickly caught up with her.

"Tara, please. We want you to stay." When Tara looked at him with an expression of disbelief, it hurt him. That did more to make Jack realize what their accusations, silent as they may have been, had done to Tara than D's words ever could.

"Look, Tara, I know that you have no reason to want to stay after the way we've treated you, but please, stay. Please, Tara. Do it for Bobby, because it's what he would want you to do"

Tara had continued walking until Jack had mentioned Bobby. Hat stopped her cold in her tracks. She stood there for a moment, trying to decide, then she nodded. "For Bobby." She turned around and began to walk back towards Bobby's grave until Jack stopped her again.

"Tara, wait. I want, no, I need to talk to you first." He sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "I owe you an apology for the way I've acted towards you since Bobby's death. I was too lost in my own pain to see how much you were hurting, and to see what we were doing to you. I blamed you for Bobby's death. Deep down inside, I knew that it wasn't your fault, but I didn't want to admit it. I wanted someone to blame, someone to take it out on, and I chose you. Tara, I am so sorry. You have no idea how much I regret the way I've treated you. If Bobby had been here, he would have punched me good for the way I was acting. I know that a simple apology isn't enough to set things right between us, but I hope it's a start. I know the rest of the team feels the same way. We want to be a team again, but we can't be until we set things right with you."

"You're forgiven," Tara whispered through the tears that were streaming down her face.

Jack hesitated for a moment, then reached out and gently pulled her into a hug. When they broke apart, Tara attempted to dry her eyes and took a deep breath to try to regain control of her emotions.

"Tara, there's one more thing." Jack reached into the pocket of his suit coat and pulled out a small box. "This belongs to you. Bobby bought this shortly before he died, and was planning to give it to you the night after the raid. After I left the cemetery after Bobby's funeral, I went to his apartment and took it from where Bobby had hidden it. I intended to give it to you, but I just never seemed to be able to do it."

Tara opened up the box and gasped at what she saw. Inside was the most beautiful diamond ring she had ever seen. Although the stone wasn't large, the setting was beautiful. Bobby had done an excellent job in picking it out.

"Thank you, Jack. You have no idea how much this means to me," She said tearfully. Tara took the ring out of the box and slipped it onto the ring finger of her left hand. She then looked back up at Jack. "I think I'm ready to see the others now." Jack nodded, and together they walked back to Bobby's grave, where the others were waiting.

When they reached the gravesite, Sue was the first one to speak. "Tara, we all owe you an apology for how we've treated you and have been acting towards you since Bobby's death. I could think of a million excuses, but all of them would be just that, excuses. The truth is we felt we needed someone to blame; we felt that it had to be someone's fault. But it is no one's fault; no one could have known that that agent was a traitor. No one could have predicted that he would shoot Bobby. Instead of supporting you and helping you like we should have, we caused you even more pain. As a result, the team started falling apart, and work became a miserable place. I know that nothing's ever going to be like it was before, because Bobby won't be there, but we're willing to try to mend our relationships to see if we can't save the team."

"Bobby once told me about a conversation that he had with you the night that Jack had his heart attack. You told him that what happened to Jack really makes you think, not just about life and friends, but about time. About those moments that you wish you could hold onto forever, and the ones you wish you could change. But you can't change them, because they're gone. All you can do is make sure that you don't let the next moment go by because it might be the last chance to take a step towards making the way things are into the way you wish they were. He said that was what had prodded him the most to take that next step in our relationship. He didn't want anything to happen to either one of us without having made that step towards making the way things were into the way he wanted them to be.

"I've learned a lot from Bobby's death. Most of all, I've learned that there's no guarantee that after the next raid, we'll all come back alive. We're not guaranteed tomorrow. I want to make sure that I wouldn't look back with regret and say, 'I wish things had been this way." without having made a step to make them that way. So, I'm going to take that step. I'm willing to try to restore our friendship, and start working as part of a team again, rather than as part of a team of individuals.

By the time Tara had finished talking, all of them were crying. Myles, of course, was working hard at hiding his tears, as were Jack and D, but they were all failing miserably.

"Tara, we haven't been there for you when you needed us the most. We were too wrapped up in our own pain to see how much you needed us. That's going to change, starting now. We're going to make sure that you still feel as much a part of this team as ever. If you ever need anything, we'll be there for you," D informed her. "It's what Bobby would have wanted us to do, and what we should have been doing all along.

"Thank you," Tara said, smiling through her tears. It was the first time she'd genuinely smiled since Bobby's death.

The team stayed by Bobby's grave, at times sharing memories of him, and other times just sitting there in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Soon, it began to get dark, and it was time for them to leave.

"Bobby, we miss you in the bullpen. We don't have anyone telling corny jokes, or trying to charm his way out of trouble. We miss you, but we're going to get through this. Together. As a team. Because it's what you would have wanted. Goodbye, Bobby."

"It still doesn't seem right that you're not here with us, Crash. The bullpen seems empty without you and your crazy antics. There have been several times where I wondered if our team was gonna make it through this in one piece, but I think we will. Goodbye, Crash."

"The others are right, it's not the same without you. I don't have anyone purposely annoying me, and your desk is clean for the first time since I can remember. I'm not one who particularly enjoys goodbyes, but it is time for us to finally properly say goodbye to you, so goodbye, Bobby. We'll keep an eye on your 'sheila' for you. Rest in Peace."

"Bobby, I miss hearing your accent and you using your charm to try to get me to do your paperwork. There's a piece missing from our team now that you're gone, but we're not going to let that stop us anymore. We're going to continue on as you would have wanted us to. We'll never forget you."

"It's not the same without you, Bobby. The bullpen is quiet without you there, picking fights with Myles and charming the girls with your accent and smile. We're going to go on, because it's what you would want us to do, but you will be missed. Goodbye, Bobby."

"Bobby, I miss you more than I ever thought possible. Nothing seems right without you. Not at work, not at home, not anywhere. It still hurts so much to remember that you're gone. But I'll make through. We all will. I love you, Bobby."

The team, having finally said a proper goodbye to their teammate, slowly walked out of the cemetery together. It would be a long process, but the healing had finally begun.

_Every night in__my dreams__  
__I see you, I feel you__  
__That is how I know you go on_

_Far across the distance__  
__And spaces between us__  
__You have come to__show__you go on_

_Near, far, wherever you are__  
__I believe that the heart does go on__  
__Once more you open__the door__  
__And you're here in my heart__  
__And my heart will go on and on_

_Love can touch us one time__  
__And last for a lifetime__  
__And never let go till we're gone_

_Love was when I loved you__  
__One true time I hold to__  
__In my life we'll always go on_

_Near, far, wherever you are__  
__I believe that the heart does go on__  
__Once more you open__the door__  
__And you're here in my heart__  
__And my heart will go on and on_

_You're here, there's nothing I fear__  
__And I know that my heart will go on__  
__We'll stay forever this way__  
__You are safe in my heart__  
__And my heart will go on and on_

_

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_

_A/N: I'm kinda sad to see this story end, as I enjoyed working on it, but I don't think I should drag it out any farther. Down the road, I may eventually post a one shot sequel to it. We'll see. For now though, this story is complete. _


End file.
